Chapter 100: When a candle becomes a blaze

September ??

Diana

“Diana…” Anthony whispered. “I- you’re alive.”

“What are you doing here?” I managed out, rushing so I could run my hands along the steel bars dividing us.

“Came to save you.” He coughed out. “Though… seems like the roles reversed.”

“How did you even find me?” My soul quivered between relief and worry each moment, but feeling his fingers grace my own hands cemented a resolve through my bones.

“Got your message, you were clever about the dog thing. Had help from one of your father’s men… I… I don’t know what happened to them.” Anthony rested his head against the bars, and I found myself doing the same.

“I didn’t send any…” Had Dogwhistler helped me? I let the thought die, I needed him out first. “How long ago did you even get here?”

“A few days… I think. Not too many.” He sounded broken, it hurt me to see him like this.

“We’ll get out. I promise.” It was all I could do.

“I missed that brazen attitude of yours, always streaming headfirst into the danger.” He managed a smile despite the situation.

Soul Killer clapped in the background, and I still didn’t tear my eyes to look at them. “How touching of a reunion.”

“Let him go this instant!” I started running a stream of sparks down my arm, letting my threat be clear.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll let you both go.” Soul Killer said, much to my confusion.

And suspicion. “Like hell you will, what are you planning?!”

Soul Killer chuckled, rummaging through something and placing something on the table behind me. They spoke, but something in this made me shiver with a primal fear drenching my bones. “I’m wearing a blindfold, Anthony can confirm it.”

Anthony’s gaze flicked between me and Soul Killer, his voice heavy and sore. “She is.”

For a second, I wondered if he was already infected by Soul Killer. If I was too late. Turning my head back and seeing the body of this second Dr. Kaisel with a piece of cloth around her eyes returned my trust in him, but then the question became why didn’t Soul Killer infect Anthony yet?

But then I stared down at what Soul Killer had placed on the table, a needle topped up with a vial of nauseating scarlet. The fluid was like blood, but more transparent and eerily glowing, most disturbing had to be the crammed up red spider lillies within it. It was the petals that were glowing, spewing the noxious atmosphere surrounding the vial.

It was the exact same type of vial Soul Killer had used to infect the BUG they placed inside Stormspinner’s body. To revive and corrupt her as a MAL.

“It’s not safe for human consumption.” Soul Killer explained. “All my tests have been… gruesome. They aren’t even really MAL, it turns them into grotesque masses of flesh. Dead flesh. Not one person has been able to survive being injected by it.”

“Where are you going with this?” I didn’t like any of this, but I couldn’t let Anthony stay here.

“Simple. Inject yourself. My calculations had me predicting your Tier II Mutations should be able to withstand this potency, that is, you would become my thrall, but you would survive. I’ve come to understand that a simple Revenant Flower won’t suffice to infect you… but this…”

They laughed lika a maniac. “Why I’m giddy to see how you’ll react to it.” Soul Killer tapped the table, a smile plastered on their face that I wanted to punch off.

“What’s stopping me from just escaping in the first place? I could’ve done it long ago.” I was about ready to punch Kaisel’s head clean off.

“Oh my lab rat… this place was built to keep the MAL from getting in. It’s equally difficult to get out — brute strength won’t suffice. Besides, why else did I keep the Grazhe brat here? So close to the exit? You were always going to try something, pointless as it would be. If I wanted you back down there, I could have summoned more of my loyal subjects at any point. Besides… Anthony there, well…”

Anthony spoke in turn, his voice unnatural and twisted. “It’s not too late to save him.”

My skin froze over, I didn’t want to look back… I couldn’t look back.

But I did, and soulless eyes where there should have been gray stared back at me. Soul Killer spoke from within the body of Anthony. “Do you know what happens when my Mutation known as Soul-Death reaches it’s maximal development? Why, it causes a chain reaction throughout the body to lower Implant Compatibility. Drops it right down to 0%. Creating… as you guessed it, a Parasyte MAL. One under my control. Now, here’s the deal. I let you remove my influence from him only once you come under my control. Otherwise, I’ll begin to forcefully cause the Mutation to develop, turning him into humanity’s forsaken enemy.”

My heart shattered into a thousand bits, this… this couldn’t be happening. I- I couldn’t just let him die like this.

“Alternatively.” Dr. Kaisel’s body began.

Anthony continued. “You could decide to walk out of here, test yourself against the might of this bunker’s doors. All the while knowing that your dear friend is losing this battle, you could let him die. You could let him suffer… all while turning a blind eye on it.”

“I’ll fucking kill you!” I screamed into my own arms.

“Oh? Like you let Yvvete die? Pardon me, I misspoke. Like you murdered her?” Anthony whispered against the bars.

Then his voice strengthened under Soul Killer’s influence. “Make your choice.”

My brain felt like it was slammed against it’s skull. Pounded into thought. Normally there was some resistance, but this left me just as helpless as when Jacob Grazhe had forced me into acting.

“This boy truly is a step above his aunt.” Soul Killer giggled. “A Deviant Mutation to control others based on emotive resonance… why I’d have taken him years ago. Shame, Skeleton and Juliet made a good deal for their safety.”

Huh? I wish I could’ve thought on it more, but my brain was still reeling in effect. My eyes flicked between Anthony, his eyes held in insanity, the vial beckoning me into it’s crimson eminence, and the door open to my freedom.

All of it was too much.

“Make your decision.”

Soul Killer had tormented me for who knows how many weeks. I’d been forced to kill, forced to abandon my own thoughts, my freedom. For so long I’d thought the monsters were those who stood on the top of the economic food chain, now I saw that the worst of them was hiding amonst us, feeding on our souls. Forcing us into becoming monsters for the sake of their own pursuits.

I grabbed the bars of Anthony’s cage and mustering all of my strength, began to wrench them apart. The steel creaked and groaned, begging against me, adding more noise to cacophony slamming through my head.

I’d killed Yvette.

I couldn’t let Anthony die.

Whatever I did, I had to save him. I had to.

Anthony lurched back from my hands as I slid them through the bent bars. His smile making me shiver, then I was beginning to lose all hope when he reached behind him for a gas mask hidden in the shadowy corners of his cage.

“So that’s your choice? How foolish.” Anthony said before wearing the gas mask, muffling himself. Two red gasseous vials at the sides of the mask drained down as Soul Killer to a deep huff of the noxious fumes, red veins creeping all across Anthony’s skin. The muffled voice spoke softly. “It should take around two minutes… I’ll let you say your goodbyes.”

I heard Kaisel speak from behind me. “Take the vial in that time, and I’ll have the mutation stop… don’t and well… it’s your dirty work you have to clean up. I’ll leave you two to your privacy.”

She stepped out, and the doors closed leaving me in this hell.

“Diana.” Anthony spoke from the tight clutches of the gas mask, his voice panicked and his eyes gray and normal. “What’s happening?”

I slipped my hands onto the sides of the mask, and with one yank tore it to pieces. My desperation was getting head off me, my own breath outpaced my thoughts. In that fear in his eyes, I saw Yvette’s confused and dead stare as I pulled her away from Indra’s shot. I saw Irene’s body dying as a husk as I removed her Mutations in hope to cure her off Soul Killer’s influence. I saw the man held hostage by Tonguelasher being killed by Choirmen’s shot as I failed to reach the mercenary. I saw tens of clubgoers dead by the MAL whose flesh had been mine.

This was too much, I wasn’t sure which of my fathers had abandoned me. I didn’t even know why I joined up with the police if it wasn’t to be close to Yvette. Hell, the only reason I really ranked up higher was for the sake of keeping up the act we had as kids.

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I was always the one seeking to outperform while she just wanted to make the most of things. Had I ever really cared about any of this? About justice?

I gripped Anthony’s terrified face, tears in my own eyes as I placed my fingers against his cheeks. “This is going to hurt… but you to have to let me… I…”

My fingernails sharpened, sinking into his flesh as his blood became a source of Bronze Warp Energy for me… and I wouldn’t stop until I drained out that infectious Mutation.

The world became a blur, as Anthony’s pained groans began to overwhelm my own thoughts. The feeling of pulsing, warm and lively Bronze Energy infected with the sickening growth buried within him.

This was all too much.

I don’t know why, but as I drained out the Energy blindly, I remembered the conversation I had with his aunt. My Liuetenant Anabelle Grazhe. Back then, she had pointed me on the path to Simon Jugosla, on the path to Soul Killer. She had the same eyes as those infected by him, why? Was it all some elaborate ploy?

Then why auction me off?

That damn conversation led me here, it led Anthony here. And it all began with her asking me why I had even joined the police. Well, there you have it. I didn’t join up for some grand ambition, I only ever went with it for Yvette. I climbed the ranks because that’s just how you show you’re a good officer of the law.

Tearing out the corruption? Becoming a hero? A martyr? Joining Neocore? Proving my father wrong? None of that meant anything to me. I was only ever in it for her, then at some point, because it was an outlet for these powers.

Now I was at risk of losing it all.

My Mutagenic Drain went deeper, draining him vitally. Straining every little bit of his life out, his screams rattled my very soul, building all sorts of emotions into me.

“It’s okay…” Anthony whispered against me despite the tears in his eyes. “You don’t need to… save me. I’m not worth it.”

His voice surged into my own actions. Instilling a moment of doubt. Doubt? Was I doubting that my friend, one of the few I’d ever made, had to live?

I burned the thought. Just as I burned all my other thoughts. Why was I in the police? Well now I had one hell of a fucking reason! Anabelle Grazhe, Soul Killer, this fucked up conspiracy had taken too much from me. There were rotten apples hiding amidst us, acting as Soul Killer’s pawns, I’d burn them out. I’ll set a fire so damn big even that the Founders take notice of it!

And I’ll start by burning this fucking Mutation out!

For all my time spent as an Adapter, I’d always envisioned that bustling core of Golden Energy within me as a hearth of flame. A vivid painting I’d enscribed over it to ease my control, to turn it malleable to my thoughts.

For the first time, it wasn’t just a thought.

Latent Warp Tendency realized: Fire.

Warp Energy with a Fire Tendency acts in a destructive manner, causing specific applications of it to become more detrimental in nature.

Tendency grade is being evaluated…

Fire Tendency: Iron VII

The sketches of flame within my soul shifted as a force of reality, pulling out of their fake imagery into vivid strands that ached to destroy and burn. They sunk into my hands, digging into Anthony’s body through which they searched and sought to my singular thought.

I’ll burn death away.

I’d never heard such painful yelling in my life, but somewhere deep in there, I’d dug towards my goal. Black threads began to stain the Bronze blood I was leeching off. Anthony shook as though I’d torn off a piece of his existance, his body pale, his mind shrunk.

He was bleeding from all over. But as it all fed into me, I saw the progress I was making.

Partial Tier II Mutagen being absorbed…

* [Silver] Soul Whisper [Energy/Cognition] [2%/37%]

* [Bronze] Air Spitting [Alteration/Energy] [33%/45%]

* [Iron] Strengthened Body [Integrity/Metabolism] [43%/44%]

* [Iron] Flawless Skin [Alteration] [41%/43%]

* [Iron] Alcoholic Control [Metabolism/Cognition] [52%/75%]

* [Bronze] Vocal Alteration [Alteration] [4%/16%]

* [Titanium] Soul-Death [Alteration/Cognition] [12%/28%]

* [Titanium] Soul-Forfeit [Alteration/Cognition] [44%/100%]

Hostile Mutagen being cleansed…

Fire Tendency is now Iron VIII

The numbers fed away, some getting higher while others lowered. I watched as the two most important numbers flickered.

* [Titanium] Soul-Death [Alteration/Cognition] [16%/31%]

* [Titanium] Soul-Forfeit [Alteration/Cognition] [48%/100%]

That still didn’t stop me from taking more from Anthony…

You have absorbed Iron-Grade Mutagen: Strengthened Body

You have absorbed Iron-Grade Mutagen: Flawless Skin

You have absorbed Bronze-Grade Mutagen: Air Spitting.

Fire Tendency is now Iron IX

The guilt tore at me, but it hardly mattered when Anthony’s life was at stake. He could do without them… hell I’d buy him new Mutations, once this was all over.

* [Titanium] Soul-Death [Alteration/Cognition] [22%/35%]

* [Titanium] Soul-Forfeit [Alteration/Cognition] [56%/100%]

I felt the flames within me burn deep into his soul, and knowing I’d found the root of the scourge, I demanded that every bit of my Warp Energy take hold and burn it to a crisp.

* [Titanium] Soul-Death [Alteration/Cognition] [31%/39%]

* [Titanium] Soul-Forfeit [Alteration/Cognition] [78%/100%]

Fire Tendency is now Iron X

My entire body itself was ablaze as it began to fight off the infection I had taken into myself. The nauseating miasma digging into my blood was beginning to fester.

94%…

95%…

93%…

96%…

94%…

…

Grade is now Gold IV

Fire Tendency is now Bronze I

* Iron-Grade Fire Tendency Boon: The Fire Tendency is more effective against foreign Mutagen.

At once, I cremated the remains of the corruptive energy within his flesh, but not entirely able to leave the rest of him unscathed. I’d gone deep… far too deep for him to simply walk it off.

Tier 0 Mutations Absorbed

* [I] Muscular Endurance [Integrity]

Tier I Mutations Absorbed:

* [I] Bodily Endurance [Integrity]

* [I] Fatigue Recovery [Metabolism]

* [I] Air Hardening [Energy]

* [I] Skin Cleanser [Alteration]

Partial Tier II Mutations Absorbed:

* [S] Soul Whisper [4%]

* [B] Air Spitting [Alteration/Energy] [45%]

* [I] Strengthened Body [Integrity/Metabolism] [44%]

* [I] Flawless Skin [Alteration] [43%]

* [B] Vocal Alteration [Alteration] [16%]

* [T] Soul-Death [Alteration/Cognition] [42%]

* [T] Soul-Forfeit [Alteration/Cognition/Energy] [100%]

I’d stolen fundamnetal Mutations from him. They might have just been Iron-Grade but… I’d ripped him apart. And as he eased in my arms, a husk of himself, he breathed. Wounded… but alive…

Not while he was still bleeding though, immediately, I let him ease onto the floor while I searched — practically tearing the room apart for anything to heal him.

Instead, I was met with two entrants into the room. Kaisel and Aliya, both eyes scarlet and pearl.

“You just went from a lab rat, to a threat.” Soul Killer drew me in with Kaisel’s eyes, and I was found in a realm of my own mind. No… not now! Summoning my Warp Energy, without those restraints bugging me down now and igniting my entire soul through the Tendency I’d uncovered, I burned those memories appearing to a crisp.

And then heat itself burned into me.

My body ached as it charred from Aliya’s spewing of fire through her palm. It was scorching, but so was my heart as it unveiled the power I’d unwittingly taken.

[Gold] Mutation: Mutational Drain has reached 100% Development. Additional Meta-Mutations have been acquired. Increased ability to specify Mutational absorption; greatly increased bodily enhancement immediately after Mutational absorption; greatly improved Mutational Development through absorption.

[Gold] Mutation: Electromagnetic Telekinesis has acquired additional Meta-Mutations. Increased ability to modify conductive properties of air; minor ability to augment strength via the Mutation. Development: 92%

[Gold] Mutation: Electrical Freeze-Flash has acquired additional Meta-Mutations. Greater ability to freeze air; greater range of the Mutation. Development 86%

Development: 98%

…Additional Mutagenic Material is being digested.

As my Warp Energy drew to my wounds carrying the statement of destruction, flesh poured into reforming like cancerous growths, then it spurned outwards into the air itself. In a somewhat ironic sense, my flaming Energy cooled the air down against the fire, creating an immediate barrier against the heat.

Not willing to let them turn the flame against the injured anthony, I brought my body through the razing flame to claw at Aliya, my nails crystalized under the sheer mania of my Energy. I swept them cleanly through the flesh of her neck, before I threw her body against Kaisel’s. Then I speared my hand through both of their chests in one thrust.

I didn’t have the time to consider the moral qualms of killing Aliya. I did what had to be done. As both of their bodies sunk down, I let myself return to hunting down for medical supplies in the lab — but dammit, of course Soul Killer didn’t have any!

Anthony was dying, I had to find something!

Then… dammit, I heard footsteps again from behind me, so I opened my palm up willing to blast the next Soul Killer thrall the second they entered.

Instead, the eyes who entered were entirely inorganic and silver. It was a rough, jaded looking black man whose beard was about as well-maintained as an overgrown ruin. He wore a long trenchcoat and I could smell the alcohol from here.

“Whoah.” His accent slightly slurred. “Looks like you got to them before I could.”

“Who the fuck are you?” I had no time for this.

“Watch your fucking language kid.” He kicked Kaisel’s body aside, moving to survey the room, lighting up a cigarette as he did so. “Fine job you did here, would you like it if I said I was one of your father’s men? Diana Ulrich?”

“I’ll take what I can get.” I practically could have spat on him at this momen.

Glancing at Anthony, I saw a moment of sadness dwell in his eyes, a profound and deep scowl grew on him. “Shit… Well you’ll be happy to know that I’m not. I’m actually the man whose little eavesdropping device you tore out from your apartment, as well as the guy who deleted that dangerous file off your computer. What were you thinking, not using a more secure device?”

I watched as he unhooked sprays from within his coat, dressing Anthony down and sealing the wounds clean. He grinded his teeth with a metallic scraping, until finally meeting me with a serious eye. “I’m a friend of Anthony’s mother… been in hiding for years. You can relax. I got a listening device in all his police clothes… and civilian clothes… I was waiting for the right moment to come in here myself. Name’s Dryder by the way, since you’re so kind to ask.”

“Dryder…” I repeated the name to myself, entirely unfamiliar to it. “You a friend or foe?”

“Let’s just say, we got a common enemy. Happens to infect people you love and use them against you.” He placed Anthony into a recovery position, taking care to treat him gently. “I… I’m not exactly the friendly type… but I am the kind you don’t want as a foe.”

He reached for his metal leg, which I didn’t even notice had a concealed compartment which turned into a massive rifle that weighed heavily against Dryder’s shoulder. Still not trusting him, I was at least willing to trust in the care he’d shown Anthony. “What are you going to do?”

“You’re free to leave now, if you want.” Dryder placed down his weapon against the cage, now pulling out a flask of all things and swigging it clean. “Me and old SK? We got business, decades worth. Gonna clean up a few mistakes, so, what’ll you do?”

I stared down at the two dead bodies… they should be enough.

“Get to Tier II… and join you.”

Dryder smiled. “Well, I’m not waiting. Also, I only got one pair of hands and this kid comes first. Plus, you should use this.”

He tossed me a vial I immediately noticed as Mutagen, but it was labelled as… Hair Serum? Regardless, his promise to take care of Anthony first was a good thing. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

I put my hands against Aliya’s corpse, I found her Bronze SIM, riddled in crimson veins right underneath her and began the process of absorbing it. I was going to burn Soul Killer down to the bone.

This place was first on my list.